Young Star Trek Actor Tragically Passes Away at Only 33 Years Old

On New Year’s Day, actor and musician Jon Paul Steuer sadly passed away. His bandmates from his band “P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S.” confirmed the 33-year-old’s death.

They said, “It is with heavy hearts and saddened minds that we announce the passing of our dear friend and singer Jonny Jewels, AKA Jon Paul Steuer.”

Steuer rose to fame in acting when he landed a role in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” as the first Alexander Rozhenko. He was given the role as Worf’s son in 1990.

Reportedly, Steuer received the role because he was the only child who auditioned who was able to sit still long enough for the makeup artists and crew to add prosthetics and make-up. After his role on Star Trek, the young actor was cast as Quentin Kelly in the popular TV show “Grace Under Fire.”

At the age of 12, Steuer and his family decided that he needed to step away from acting. In recent interviews, he said that the focus had become too much on his co-star, Brett Butler, who had dealt with substance abuse.

In 2015 he reflected on his young acting days. He said, “I wanted to forge on with acting after quitting the show, and I went out for a few interviews. But even they’d turn into question-and-answer sessions with casting agents about ‘Grace Under Fire.’ I was kind of blown away by how unprofessional people inside the industry were. It really soured me. I didn’t want that kind of attention.”

He added that he wanted to do acting because he genuinely enjoyed the work, not because he wanted fame or attention. By the age of 19, Steuer developed a passion for music instead.

Steuer started his own band and performed nationally before splitting in 2009. The singer then took a break from the music industry to open a vegan restaurant in Portland, Oregon. In 2016, Steuer returned to the music scene to join his most recent band.

His “P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S.” bandmates said, “The addition of Jonny to our dysfunctional band family was one of the best choices that we have ever made, and he brought a much-needed sense of fun and lightheartedness to everything we did. He was only with us for a little more than a year, but we managed to cram a lifetime of great experiences into his tenure as our singer: dozens of shows at home in Portland and across several states, an amazing European tour, and our best full-length release yet. We’ve lost our singer, but far, far more than that we’ve lost a friend. Rest in peace, Jonny…we love you.”

The cause of death for the actor has not yet been revealed. We will release more information once it is made available. The only thing that is certain, is that at the age of only 33, Steuer's death came far too soon.

Please be praying for Steuer’s bandmates, family, and friends as they deal with this difficult loss. Share your prayers here! In other recent news, Jeopardy's Alex Trebek is in need of prayers as he has suffered blood clots to the brain.